Red String
by KarenRen-Rin
Summary: They have finally uncovered Yami's memories, but instead of making him whole it seemed to have split him into two—and now Yuugi must deal with two personas in the Puzzle, both equally possessive and unwilling to share. What's a young man to do? Mobiumshipping. YYxYxA.
1. The Doppelgangers

**Red String**

0o0

_Summary: They have finally uncovered Yami's memories, but instead of making him whole it seemed to have split him into two—and now Yuugi must deal with two personas in the Puzzle, both equally possessive and unwilling to share. What's a young man to do? Mobiumshipping. YYxYxA_

0o0

**Warnings:**

Yami no Yuugi x Yuugi Mutou x Atem pairing (Mobiumshipping)

Yaoi

Possible lemons, definite limes

And a spoiling of green jealousy and hot possessiveness from our favourite Pharaoh doppelgangers—guaranteed to provide the most satisfying of entertainments. Enjoy.

0o0

Yuugi yawned and stretched his arms up above his head, sighing pleasantly when the kinks in his bones cracked back into place. _'Ahh… __**Finally**__. Man, I despise homework. It's the true enemy of high-school gamers around the world, I say!'_

When no one responded to his mental whining, Yuugi let his arms fall back to his sides. He casually balanced on the back legs of his desk chair as he looked around his room curiously. _'Mou hitori no boku?'_

There was short pause—which Yuugi used to count the number of dark spots on his ceiling—before there came a stuttering, _'Y-Yeah, aibou? How's homework going? You've finished?'_

Yuugi rolled his eyes and promptly planted all four feet of his chair back onto the floor. He stood up and stretched his back. _'Yes, Yami, I have. Are you okay? You seem a little out of breath.'_ How a spirit could sound out of breath was a mystery in and of itself.

'_I-It's nothing to concern yourself over.'_ As if Yami had actually felt the quirk of Yuugi's eyebrow, he feigned a cough and said in a more confident and aloof tone, _'Really. It's just… a few issues that I'm having with the Puzzle. Simple stuff, just some silly chores. Nothing to fret about.'_

'_Mmhm,'_ Yuugi hummed, unconvinced. He collapsed on his bed with his arms thrown over his head. _'Would you like some help with whatever you're doing then?'_

'_No!'_ Yami said a bit too hastily. However, he quickly found himself. He materialised in front of Yuugi in his transparent form and looked down at the laying youth. _'Seriously, aibou. It's just something I have to do for myself, that's all.'_ He crossed his arms and forced a sly grin to grace his handsome features. _'But anyway, now that you're done with your homework… how about we play a game?'_

Although Yuugi knew what the spirit was trying to do, he smiled anyway and sat up. He crossed his legs on his bed and wiggled further into it to make room for Yami to sit. _'Sounds like fun!'_ Yuugi quipped cheerfully. _'I'll take you on that, mou hitori no boku.'_

Relieved, Yami heavily sat down on Yuugi's mattress, letting the tension ooze out of his translucent body like water. He pulled his leg up to his chest and rested his chin on the knee as he gazed at his aibou comfortably. "What game would you like to play tonight, aibou?" he asked aloud, his voice deep and soft and velvety.

Yuugi grinned brightly. "How about chess tonight, mou hitori no boku? I'll get the chess board."

As the young gamer got up from the bed to rummage his wardrobe drawers for his game board, he missed the intense look Yami was suddenly giving him behind his back. The spirit's eyes were full of adoration, of gentle devotion—but, at the same time, they were hot with the emotions of possessiveness and greed, mixed together pleasantly in order to darken the lavender shade of his eyes.

Yuugi was _his_ aibou—

Yami's aibou—

And he was going to keep it that way.

0o0

Two weeks ago, Yuugi and the group had gone to Egypt on a mission. Isis had told them that there was a way for the former Pharaoh to recover his lost memories, and that they needed to be in Egypt with the seven Millennium Items and the three Egyptian God Cards to unlock them.

Like heroes in a book following a plot already pre-determined, they had gone to Egypt following every instruction to the dot. As a reward, everything seemed to fall into place. Yami was sucked into a stone tablet while the others were made to wait—even Yuugi (no matter how much he argued and yelled and fretted) couldn't seem to follow the former Pharaoh to wherever it was he disappeared to. After days of worrying, however, the spirit had finally returned to them, claiming to have found his lost memories.

But that was all he said about them. After that, after they returned to Japan, Yami hadn't mentioned his past again. It concerned the younger man slightly, especially when Yami wouldn't even let him into the labyrinth he called his soul room anymore. No matter how many times Yuugi had knocked on Yami's door in the Millennium Puzzle, the spirit wouldn't open up. He always had some sort of excuse and Yuugi had no choice but to leave feeling rejected and unwanted.

To compensate for this, however, Yami seemed to become more outwardly affectionate—he would hug him more (sometimes without reason) and he would occasionally reach out to brush a stray tuft of hair from Yuugi's face. His gentle displays of affection minimised the hurt that Yuugi felt. After all, he knew Yami—he knew that the spirit wouldn't do anything that would hurt him. So, Yuugi decided to trust him and wait until Yami was ready to tell him the truth.

Still, Yuugi was curious. Recovering Yami's memories had been their mission for the longest time, after all. The young man wondered why the spirit had suddenly decided that his past was something better left hidden—better left locked away within the confines of the Puzzle—despite every toil and hardship they've been through to get it.

It made Yuugi curious indeed.

0o0

'_Yami, would you like to take over for today?'_

Projecting himself out of the Millennium Puzzle that rested on the bed, Yami leaned against the young man's study desk and crossed his arms. He asked, "Why, aibou?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you think you'll be in danger during this outing?"

Yuugi slipped on his dark blue shirt and a matching grey vest. He chuckled as he fixed up his clothes. "No, mou hitori no boku, nothing like that." He glanced at the spirit and smiled gently. "It's just that you haven't been out for a while. Don't you miss talking with our friends? I'll let you take over for today, if you want to."

Yami lost his serious look and he smiled at his aibou briefly. But then a thought crossed his mind and he had to force the smile to remain when it threatened to collapse into a scowl; it made the smile look rather edgy. "No, that's quite unnecessary. It's your day, aibou, and I won't interfere." Then to dispel any further words on the matter from Yuugi's mouth, Yami remarked casually, "You should wear a few more bracelets, Yuugi. It'll look good on you. Maybe some silver."

The younger man rolled his eyes and grabbed his shoulder bag; he'd hidden his duelling deck inside one of its pockets instead of his belt—he didn't want to attract any challengers today but it was always good to come prepared. "What's with you and bracelets?" Yuugi mumbled. "I've already told you that it wasn't my style. It's more your kind of thing, mou hitori no boku."

Before they could converse any further, there was a shout from downstairs. "Yuugi! Your friends Jounouchi and Honda are here!"

Yuugi's eyes brightened and he called back excitedly, "Oh! I'll be right down!" He quickly slipped on the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and checked himself in the mirror. "Well, mou hitori no boku? Do I look okay?"

Yami shook his head amusedly. "You always look good, aibou," he reassured with a smirk.

"Thanks," the younger duellist replied, scratching the back of his head modestly. He began to run towards the door after one final check that he had everything. The spirit receded back into the Puzzle.

'_Although… a few bracelets definitely wouldn't hurt,'_ Yami's voice chimed as an afterthought.

Yuugi laughed. "Nice try, Yami. No." He laughed louder when he felt the spirit mentally pout through their mental link.

When he was finally downstairs, he said goodbye to his mother and his grandpa and exited the Kame Game Shop where his friends were waiting for him. The two were also dressed casually, although Jounouchi looked as if he'd put an effort into looking rather 'rugged' today. Yuugi mused that it suited him.

"Jounouchi! Honda! Sorry for making you wait."

Jounouchi grinned brightly at his approach and wrapped an arm around his neck once he was in reach. He playfully rubbed the top of the smaller man's head for a gentle yet reprimanding noogie. "About time, Yuugi! What, don't you want to spend time with us in the amusement park?"

Honda chuckled. "He's probably still embarrassed about what happened last time," he teased good-humouredly.

At the memory, Yuugi blushed. "I-I couldn't help that I was too short!" he said, and then he added, "Plus, I'm definitely taller now. I doubt I'd face that sort of humiliation again."

"Yuugi, you're still pretty short," Jounouchi remarked, his arm still around Yuugi's neck. "So don't get your hopes up too much." He flashed Yuugi a grin to show that he was only joking.

Yuugi pouted cutely but struggled to keep the smile from his face. "Whatever. Where's Anzu?"

His blonde friend finally let go of him and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his baggy pants. He rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "She wasn't ready yet when we came to pick her up. She should be ready by now though, so we planned to go back to her place after we picked you up."

The young King of Games nodded and grinned, "Okay then, let's go." He adjusted the black strap of his shoulder bag across his chest. "Thanks again you two for coming by."

Honda grinned while Jounouchi sheepishly linked his hands behind his head. "Jounouchi was just too excited today, Yuugi. I mean, I woke up to the idiot hammering on my door!"

Said idiot spluttered and started hastily walking away from them. "W-Whatever! Just shut up, Honda," he growled. But none of his two companions missed the light blush of embarrassment on his cheeks.

Both Yuugi and Honda exchanged a knowing glance and chuckled bemusedly.

"Oi! What's keeping you two over there? You bunch of slowpokes!"

They could actually hear the scowl in Jounouchi's voice and they simultaneously rolled their eyes. With a grin, they started to follow the eager blonde youth. Once Yuugi was walking side by side with his best friend, his hand fisted without his knowing. The young duellist didn't seem to notice his body's wayward behaviour and the action went by unchecked.

The Millennium Puzzle glowed slightly but it also went unnoticed in the bright light of the gorgeous day.

0o0

Yuugi was enjoying himself thoroughly—after all, why wouldn't he? He was tall enough to go on all of the thrill rides this time!

The young man laughed as he walked with his group of friends from another rollercoaster. "That was hilarious! Did you guys hear Jounouchi's scream?"

"I didn't scream!" the blonde teenager screeched, which only served to trigger another bout of keening laughter. "Damn it! Stop laughing at me! I wasn't scared at all!"

"He was the loudest out of everyone there," Honda chuckled. "I could've sworn that he was going to piss his pants."

"Don't be bashful, Jounouchi," Anzu teased, a quirky smile on her face. "You should tell us whenever you're scared. We won't hold it against you, you know."

"Stop it!" Jounouchi hollered, shaking his fists madly at the trio. He whined, "Yuugi!"

The young duellist held his hands up in defence. He tried to look completely innocent but his eyes were shining with amusement, shattering the mask. "What? Don't drag me into this."

"You started it!"

"Really? I was only commenting on what I heard. At least I didn't tell them how you were holding onto my hand as if you thought you were going to die." Yuugi shook his hand in the air loosely for emphasis. "You've got a mean grip there, Jounouchi," he grinned.

Anzu and Honda blinked as Jounouchi flushed red. Then the two laughed some more, tears nearly leaking out of their eyes, while the blonde youth crossed his arms and silently fumed.

Yuugi chuckled slightly but felt bad for his best friend's torment. He suddenly started to feel guilty over his own good-natured teasing. He poked Jounouchi's bare arm and offered kindly, "Sorry, Jounouchi. How about I treat you to some ice-cream to make up for it?"

Jounouchi's pout was still in place and his eyes shone with suspicion. "Double scoop?"

Yuugi's lips quirked. "Double scoop."

A moment passed in silence. Then suddenly, Jounouchi punched Yuugi's shoulder a little harder than what was necessary and smirked, "Aw, I can never stay mad at you, buddy! Lead the way!"

The smaller man slightly winced and rubbed his sore arm. _'Guess I deserved that,'_ he mused pleasantly. They began to make their way towards one of the ice-cream stores in the amusement park. Yuugi spotted an empty table outside the store and told his friends to wait there as he got them their ice-cream. Once he was in the store by himself, Yuugi let out a happy sigh and said through the mental link, _'This day is going really well. Are you sure you don't want to come out, mou hitori no boku?'_

Seconds passed and Yuugi was surprised when no answer came. _'Mou hitori no boku?'_ He prodded for the spirit through their mental link but it was cut-off completely. Yuugi frowned in concern. He was going to call for Yami again but then the attendant at the counter suddenly called out, "Next!"

Yuugi ordered four different flavoured ice-creams in plastic cups and carried them on a tray back to the group's table. He set it down in the centre and picked up a cup with two scoops of ice-cream—one scoop was chocolate-chip and the other peppermint flavour. He held it out to his blonde friend. "Here you go, Jounouchi."

And then, suddenly and without warning, the barricade that had formed between Yuugi's mind and the former Pharaoh's seemed to collapse. Yuugi was hit with an intense feeling of panic and it nearly made his legs buckle. Jounouchi, not noticing how Yuugi's face paled, grinned happily and reached out to take the ice-cream cup from the smaller man's hand.

"Thanks, Yuugi!"

But when he tried to take the cup away from him, Yuugi's hand remained firm around the item. Jounouchi, along with Anzu and Honda, stared at Yuugi with an eyebrow raised. "Yuugi? You can let go now."

Sweat glistened on Yuugi's forehead as he stared with wide eyes at his hand. He tried to pry his fingers off the cup but they wouldn't move. "Um…"

Jounouchi tugged on the ice-cream cup but still Yuugi wouldn't let go. He frowned. "Oi! Are you okay?"

Yuugi's other hand suddenly shot up and wrapped around the cup as well. Without his consent, Yuugi's hands began to try and take back the ice-cream. The smaller man's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets—what the hell?

It seemed that Jounouchi was thinking the same thing. "Hey!" he shouted, instantly on his feet. He wrapped his hands around the cup too as he gave a vicious tug. Nobody threatened to take his food away from him—_nobody_—and he wouldn't even let Yuugi off the hook for something like this! But even as he tugged, he felt a strong resistance from the smaller man that was uncanny for his small stature. "Let go!" the blonde growled. "You bought this for me, didn't you?"

"No, you let go," Yuugi's voice spoke. The young duellist's mind instantly screamed—why was his _mouth_ betraying him now too? "I will not play the servant to some lowly peasant. If you want some of this… whatever it is, then I suggest you either call upon an actual servant of yours or get it yourself."

The trio gaped at him and Yuugi mentally slapped his forehead. _'Yami! It's got to be Yami!'_ Why was the spirit acting like this? And since when the hell did he learn how to partially possess his body?

Then suddenly, Yuugi seemed to have regained whole control of his body and he quickly let go of the ice-cream cup. Jounouchi still held it, staring at Yuugi as if he'd grown two heads. An awkward silence befell them until Anzu carefully asked, "Yuugi? Are you feeling okay?"

A bark of nervous laughter unwittingly escaped the smaller man's lips. "O-Of course! Why wouldn't I be? I was just fooling around." He shakily punched Jounouchi's arm. "Got you good, didn't I? Eh, Jounouchi?" Then he promptly sat down and started to devour his own ice-cream, stuffing his mouth despite the chilliness so that he wouldn't need to answer any of his friends' questioning eyes. He was still bewildered about the whole episode as well, and when he tried to call for Yami through their mental link, he realised that it had been shut off again.

Then there was a sharp pain in his head and Yuugi stopped eating his ice-cream to tug at his hair in frustration. "Crap! Brain freeze!"

Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda let the tension fall away at the comment and grinned at each other nervously. They didn't know what happened but Yuugi seemed to be alright. Perhaps their smaller friend was just acting peculiar for the hell of it—it was a stretch, but they didn't know what else to think. Yami definitely had never spoken to them like that before and he certainly wasn't the joking type.

They finished their ice-cream with friendly, light conversation and afterwards went on a few more rides, the incident forgotten. During their quiet times as they lined up in a queue, Yuugi would constantly try to contact the former Pharaoh. But, as per usual, his calls remained unanswered and it frustrated the young man greatly. What kind of stunt was Yami trying to pull?

As the day went by, however, Yuugi's body started to do more peculiar things without his consent. Whenever Jounouchi had grabbed his wrist to drag him to another ride, he'd rip his arm away and find himself glaring at his best friend with a fierceness that he only reserved for his enemies. He'd then regain control again and would smile sheepishly at Jounouchi's baffled expression. Then Yuugi would brush the whole matter off with a few well-placed words and gently tugged the taller teenager to the ride.

He also seemed to act out with Anzu too. He would sometimes find himself recoiling from her touch, even though he desired no such thing. Whenever she called him over with that smile of hers, Yuugi, although he wanted to run towards her, would find his feet moving in the opposite direction. It was frustrating and when his mouth ran off to comment snidely on her appearance, he slapped his hands over his mouth looking aghast. He hated the slightly hurt look that Anzu was looking at him with, but more than anything else Anzu just looked bewildered.

"What do you mean that I wouldn't even qualify to be a dancer on the Pharaoh's royal court?"

'_Yami!'_ Yuugi seethed. Anzu's expression was the last straw. "I-I don't mean that, Anzu. I just… I don't know what's happening," he finally said, his voice exasperated. "Please excuse me." He ran out of the queue for one of the thrill rides, leaving his three friends to stare at his back as he shoved through the line of people. They seemed to understand that he needed time alone to talk to the spirit that resided in his Millennium Puzzle.

Yuugi ran until he was alone behind one of the gaming stalls. It was a rather secluded place, cast in light shadows due to the other tall stalls surrounding him. _'Yami!'_ he called angrily through their mental link. _'What's gotten into you? Why are you acting this way? Yami!'_

There was a thick silence and just before Yuugi could pull his hair out in frustration, his hands suddenly decided to move all on their own again. And they decided to move into the strangest of places.

Yuugi's eyes widened when his hands slipped under his own shirt and started to gently caress his skin. His face instantly flushed red and he tried desperately to remove his hands—but it was useless. No matter how much he willed himself to stop, his hands continued to betray him. They stroked and prodded at his stomach and waist, his fingers teasingly running over his chest. Yuugi's breath hitched when he felt a finger brush over one of his nipples.

'_Yami! Stop!'_

And then, as if he'd heard him, his hands slipped out of his shirt as if his body had caught on fire. Yuugi let out a relieved sigh but he sucked in another breath when he felt his arms jerk. One of his hands suddenly went to his jaw, caressing his chin, as the other moved to grab the arm and attempted to pull it away. Yuugi's whole body jerked to the side as if he was being pulled by an invisible force. His arm dropped to firmly wind itself around his waist while his other hand moved to pry his fingers off of him. Yuugi's head began to burn and he clenched his teeth together tightly. _'Yam—'_

And then there was a shout in his head that definitely wasn't his. _'Stop it!'_

Yuugi's eyes widened. He felt his hands being thrown outwards so they stretched out in front of him.

'_Why?'_ came another voice inside his head and Yuugi wondered if his eyes could get any wider. _'I don't want to stop.'_

Then Yuugi's hands came back to slip under his shirt again, stroking his bare skin. "Y-Yami?" Yuugi spluttered out loud, disorientated and as confused as ever.

'_See?'_ Yami's voice growled. _'He doesn't like it. Stop touching him.'_

'_You can't command me to do anything. Besides, my akhu likes my touch. I can sense it.'_

Yuugi felt Yami snarl. _'Does he __**sound**__ like he's enjoying what you're doing? Let him go, damn it!'_

Yuugi then felt disgust through the mental link. _'You're such a vulgar man. Is that any way to speak to a Pharaoh?'_

Frustration. Anger. _'You're __**me**__. I can speak to you however I want. Besides, I would have never thought that my past self was so perverted as to touch an unwilling party!'_

Barely repressed rage. _'Well, maybe he wouldn't be so unwilling if he actually __**knew**__ who I am. It's your fault for keeping me prisoner inside the Puzzle and hiding my existence!'_

'_Shut up, it wasn't necessary that he knew you—and stop touching my aibou!'_

'_He's my akhu. I have every right to touch him, and not even you can deny me of this.'_

Yuugi felt his body jerking around wildly—one half wanting to touch him while the other seemed hell-bent to keep that from happening. It was a conflicting mess which simply resulted in Yuugi's body thrashing around like a madman; the young man felt an impending explosion in his head as the two voices—similar and yet so starkly different—continued to bicker and argue without any care to how their host was feeling. Yuugi's breath started to come out in quick, short pants and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly—he could feel something inside him beginning to snap.

'_If you don't stop this right now, I am going to make sure that you're sealed back into—'_

'_You dare to threaten a Pharaoh, the beloved son of the gods? I have no choice but to make you pay for your—'_

"**SHUT UP**!"

Yuugi's outburst of pure rage made the Puzzle shine brightly in response. The voices in his head stopped instantly as a sudden surge of power blasted through them, causing an unnatural wind to propagate outwards like the ripples of water after a pebble had disturbed a lake. Yuugi turned his head away from the blast of wind and blinding light, and when he felt the unnatural power die down, he finally opened his eyes—

And was greeted by two spirits gazing at him like deer caught in headlights.

One was Yami and the other was Yami too—except this Yami was darkly tanned and was wearing clothes befitting that of an Egyptian king.

Yuugi felt his jaw drop to the ground at the sight of the doppelgangers standing side-by-side in front of him. His mind was completely blank as he stared at the pair, any coherent thought that tried to form in his mind destroyed by the haze of his shock and incredulousness.

The two Yamis glanced at each other nervously before they turned back to the stricken Yuugi.

"Aibou…" one started.

"Akhu…" the other cooed.

And then Yuugi finally snapped out of his stupor and pointed at the two with a furiously wagging finger, his eyes ablaze.

"**WHAT THE HELL**!"

0o0

Chapter One: End.

0o0

_Translations: _

_**Akhu**__: Loosely translated into 'light'. _


	2. The Beginning of War

**Red String**

0o0

Chapter Two: The Beginning of War

0o0

_Aha, I had a really awesome response to this story. I'm glad to have so many supporters! Thank you to my reviewers and followers, and I hope you enjoy the story._

_PS: Happy holidays!_

0o0

He hadn't known that he was asleep until someone had breached the darkness and woken him up.

The doors to the throne room had parted slowly and the bright, white light gazed in, caressing walls and pillars that hadn't seen the light in three thousand years. The shadows—long dominant and turned lazy in its rule—hissed at the light and retreated away, reluctantly crawling back into the far corners of the room as the light continued to spread. A lone person who sat at the far back of the room, on an elevated platform on a throne, frowned softly when he felt a particular yet familiar warmth graze against his tanned skin, his closed eyelids twitching as something irritated his senses.

He felt like he was waking up from a dream.

He slowly opened his eyes and the atypical brightness of the room almost made him nauseous. For the longest time he could remember, he was always—_always_—shrouded in darkness; sometimes, the darkness was all that he could recall. Who dared to dispel it with the powers of light and disturb his rest? How long was he resting for, anyway? Then he realised that it didn't matter—time was for the living and hence lost to him.

His red gaze lifted to stare blankly at the figure standing in between those parted doors. He couldn't quite see who it was—the person was shrouded in a dark silhouette, the light streaming in from behind them. In a voice that he hadn't used ever since he was entrapped in this darkness, the Pharaoh commanded, "Identify yourself before your Pharaoh, stranger."

The Pharaoh's voice was strong and regal, the same as it had been since the very end of his rule in Egypt.

The figure didn't respond immediately. Instead, they walked forwards, towards the throne. As the stranger drew closer, the Pharaoh realised that this person was male. The echo of his shoes falling against the stone floor echoed hollowly in the throne room; every noise was like a strike against the eternal silence the Pharaoh had grown accustomed to listening to, and every step closer created another crack to the previous stillness that had cocooned him all these years.

It wasn't long until this stranger finally stopped right in front of him; he remained standing, gazing down at the lazing Pharaoh with eyes that reminded him of dark, ripened grapes in the summer, or of cool, smooth plums from his royal garden. In the darkness, the Pharaoh had almost forgotten what it was like to see—to really see, with his eyes instead of his mind's eye. But even so, the Pharaoh wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him, because this person looked _exactly _like—

"I am no stranger," the person said, and the Pharaoh was startled to hear that their voices were the same as well—but no, as the person continued to talk, the Pharaoh realised that their voices were actually quite different from each other after all. "I am you."

The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes and casually leaned an elbow on the armrest of his throne. He rested his chin on the back of his hand as he regarded the other coolly. "Then what brings you here?" he asked indifferently. The Pharaoh wasn't quite sure about what was happening, or whether this paler version of himself was telling the truth, but he was in such a lucid and listless state that he didn't really care. Perhaps he was still dreaming—he never felt the burden of anything in dreams where he truly cared for naught.

The other held out a hand to him. "I am here to regain my lost memories. I am here… to remember you."

The Pharaoh gazed at the outstretched hand carelessly before he looked up to meet the person's intense stare. Then suddenly, just by looking at the pure determination in those eyes, his indifference was overcome by a strange sort of need, a desire that he couldn't quite place. It came so suddenly, out of nowhere, that the Pharaoh almost buckled over in pain. He was increasingly aware of the light, of the way the darkness that imprisoned him had dispersed, and he wondered if this person—this _other him_—was actually telling the truth when he said that he'd take him away from here.

Without another word spoken between them, the Pharaoh took the other's hand.

He couldn't explain his actions, or the impulsive, painful need that had suddenly assaulted him, but he did know two things—

That perhaps he had been dreaming for too long, and he wanted to open his eyes once more to the blessed light that chased away the darkness.

0o0

Yuugi hastily made his way home. He slammed the door to the Game Shop open, the bell ringing loudly and repeatedly even after he shut it closed and rushed upstairs to his bedroom. When his grandfather had hollered after him, asking him what the matter was and why he was running like a madman, the young man simply shouted back with, "I'll explain later, grandpa! I'm okay, just please don't disturb me!" before he promptly shut his bedroom door and locked it resolutely.

If he had been able, he would've tried to get his answers _immediately_ after the shocking revelation that there were _two_ personas of his Yami living inside the Puzzle; alas, him talking and shouting at himself in a public setting (or, alternatively, dazing out like a zombie as he mentally conversed with people inside his head) did not make an appropriate environment for his interrogation. So, reluctantly, Yuugi had lied to his friends, telling them that he'd gotten sick and needed to go home, where he knew that the privacy he needed was guaranteed. Although he hated deceiving them, he needed to have a long, private chat with the spirit—spirits?—without making himself look insane to everyone who witnessed it.

"Alright," he breathed, trying to catch his breath after that mad sprint home. "Come out, the _both of you_, and explain _everything_ to me."

The Millennium Puzzle around his neck glowed faintly; then, magically, the two Yamis were suddenly standing right in front of the smaller man. The doppelgangers were both clearly nervous, although they tried to hide this behind their identical impassive stares.

Yuugi resisted the urge to rub his temples. Just the sight of them made Yuugi's head hurt.

With an audible sigh, he crossed his arms and tried to give them both a reassuring smile. He was confused as hell but that didn't mean that he wanted Yami—and the other Yami adorned with the most flattering of golden jewellery as well—uncomfortable or afraid. Yuugi wasn't mad (anymore)—he was just utterly and completely baffled. "You guys can relax a little. I'm not going to bite your heads off or anything."

The other Yami—the tanned one with the jewellery—looked slightly alarmed. "We run the risk of you biting our heads off if we manage to ire you?"

Yuugi blinked at him and then slowly turned his eyes to the Yami he was actually familiar with. "Yami?" he whispered, his voice so soft and lost that it made the other flinch.

"I can explain…" Yami said slowly, resisting the urge to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "Aibou, he's… This guy is…" He gestured rudely to the one standing next to him. "Remember that time we went to Egypt a few weeks ago to regain my memories? I told you that I got them—and that was the truth. Just, well, this… This is it—him—me…" He winced slightly at the unenlightened expression on his aibou's face. "I can't really explain it myself," he finally confessed, his tone heavy with hidden distress. "He just—He's _me_, he remembers the time of when I was Pharaoh of Egypt, but for some reason, he's..."

"I do think I can speak for myself," the Pharaoh cut in sharply, casting a condemning glare at Yami.

Yami quickly retaliated, his tone hot. "I _am_ speaking for myself."

Seeing the glower on the tanner man's face, Yuugi was quick to step in to dispel the dispute. "Wait just a minute!" All this news was messing with his head and he desperately needed to slow things down a little—these two guys having another verbal spat wasn't going to help him _at all_. "Just… Just try to keep calm, alright? If I'm even understanding this a little bit, then it's kind of ridiculous for you to, um, fight with yourself." He released a heavy sigh and gestured obscurely towards his bed. "Sit down, okay? I think this might be a long story and I don't want to keep craning my head up to look at you two."

Amazingly, or not amazingly, the two Yamis seemed to know his turmoil and complied with his wishes, although begrudgingly. The two sat on his bed, keeping as far away from each other as possible, while Yuugi himself sat down on his desk chair. He watched their behaviour with disbelieving eyes, wondering what was wrong for them to be so hostile with each other.

After a moment of silence, Yuugi finally broke it. He turned his eyes to the Yami he was unfamiliar with—those red eyes really were quite striking—and he asked softly, "You are Yami's past self, am I right? What's… your true name?"

The Pharaoh regarded Yuugi carefully and there was something in his eyes that glittered, something Yuugi couldn't quite identify and yet it had his face warming slightly all the same. "My true name, akhu, is Atem." A smile graced that handsome face and it made Yuugi's heart beat just a tad bit faster, although not even he seemed to notice it. "I understand that, in this time, people refer to others by name rather than by title, even if their stations are different. You have my permission to use my name whenever you wish, little one."

Yuugi nodded and, although it seemed strange for him to say it, he said, "Thank you." He knew enough about Egyptian history to know that a Pharaoh's true name was sacred and that only a very select few had the permission to speak it aloud. He glanced briefly at Yami—whose expression was that of a stoic statue—before he turned his attentions back to the Pharaoh. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he mumbled, "And… And my name is Yuugi Mutou." He felt the heat rise to his face. Did he really just introduce himself? Separated or not, this was still Yami! Of course he'd know who he was! … Right?

The Pharaoh—Atem—chucked in amusement. "Yes, I am aware. It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance, little akhu." Then he suddenly cast a dark look to the one sitting next to him. "We would have met earlier if _this one_ hadn't hidden me away from you and tried to lock me in the Puzzle."

Yuugi frowned and held Yami's gaze. "Yami?" he asked simply.

Yami suddenly looked away and crossed his arms. He thought briefly about how he could lie to his aibou, but deceiving Yuugi even about little things made his stomach coil unpleasantly, so he really had no choice on the matter right now. "It's true." Then, before Yuugi or Atem could say anything, he continued angrily, "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was meant to retrieve my memories, know all of my past, and finally solve this mystery of who I really am. My memories… weren't meant to manifest themselves into a second me." He seemed to slump, losing some of the tension that accumulated in his shoulders. "I don't… I don't even remember anything…"

Seeing the spirit so obviously upset unsettled the young King of Games greatly; even though Yami wasn't outright shouting his distress, his less-than-cheerful state pulled at Yuugi's heartstrings severely. He quickly got up from his seat and moved forwards to tentatively rest a hand on the spirit's shoulder—well, at least, left his hand hovering above his shoulder; Yuugi didn't forget that this was a transparent, untouchable body he was seeing, after all. "Mou hitori no boku…"

Yami smiled faintly at Yuugi's gesture and something in his chest warmed considerably when he heard the concern in the young man's voice. "It's alright, aibou," the spirit murmured gently. "I suppose we can think of it as another adventure to go through." He placed a hand on top of Yuugi's own and he wondered if he could actually feel the boy's warmth, or if it was just his wishful thinking. "Everything will turn out fine as long as I have you with me."

Yuugi smiled warmly and opened his mouth to concur when there was a sudden, derisive snort off to their side. Both men turned their heads to see a disgruntled Pharaoh who glared at each of them in turn. Then he disappeared.

Yuugi's mouth went dry while Yami simply shook his head. "That man," he scowled. "He can be so childish. I really can't believe that I was such a spoilt, arrogant brat."

"Mou hitori no boku…" Yuugi started, still staring at the space where Atem previously was. "You should know better than to say things like that. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not… you—Atem—sacrificed himself to save the world." He finally slid his gaze towards Yami. "Why… are you so hostile to him?"

But the spirit simply looked away, his lips pursed. Yuugi, however, didn't have time to wait for him to respond. He moved around Yami and fell back on his bed, his head resting on the pillows. Curious, Yami asked, "What are you doing, aibou?"

"I'm going inside the Puzzle," Yuugi said firmly. "I need to talk to the Pharaoh."

Immediately, Yami said, "I'll go with you."

"Don't." Yuugi's tone of voice stopped Yami from retreating back into the Puzzle. "You can't come with me, mou hitori no boku." After seeing the slightly hurt look on Yami's face, Yuugi softened his tone a little. "You guys are always so tense around each other. I just want to talk to him alone."

"But…" Yami started, and Yuugi could see the torment in his eyes. The spirit _really didn't _want to leave the Pharaoh and his aibou alone; yet, Yami also knew that whatever he said, it wouldn't change his aibou's mind. Yuugi could be just as stubborn as he was, if not more. After a moment of tense silence, Yami finally let out a defeated sigh and mumbled, "Fine."

Yuugi grinned brightly. "Thanks for understanding, mou hitori no boku!"

"But!" Yami quickly cut in with a scowl. "I don't trust him. If he does anything… weird or threatening, just call for me, okay? I'll gladly teach him a lesson."

The smaller man ignored the dark undertones of Yami's voice and nodded absently. He closed his eyes, missing the slightly panicked and frustrated look of the spirit, and was whisked away into the Puzzle to confront a sulking Pharaoh.

0o0

Yuugi hadn't mentioned it to the spirit, but part of the reason why he wanted to talk to the Pharaoh alone was not only because he wanted straight answers, but also because he had seen the hurt and pain that had flashed through the Pharaoh's eyes just moments before he left them. Even though Yuugi didn't know _this_ part of Yami specifically, he was still Yami—part of the man that Yuugi admired, respected, and loved. If part of Yami's soul was hurting, then part of Yuugi's soul was hurting too.

He walked out of his soul room and into the hallway of the Puzzle. He spotted Yami's door, as large and as foreboding as ever. But he didn't fear it. He casually walked over and pushed the door open, his heart pounding irregularly although he had no idea why. When he stepped into the room he hadn't entered for what seemed like forever, however, he stood completely still.

Yuugi briefly wondered if this was the right room at all.

Instead of the crazy labyrinth of stairs and doors that Yuugi was familiar with, Yami's soul room had changed drastically to something startlingly simple. It was a quaint, square room with grey walls, and on either side of him were two doors. Yuugi absently walked to the door on his left, trailing nimble fingers gently on the surface of the door. For reasons he couldn't explain, Yuugi knew that this was _Yami's_ door. Yuugi didn't know how he knew, since the door was just simply coloured black with a carving of the Eye of Ra on its surface, but he had an overwhelming sense that this belonged to his Yami.

After lovingly caressing the surface, he shook his head and turned away. He walked towards the other door on the right side of the room, and this door was anything but simple. Colourful beads, painted intricately by a skilled, professional hand to make each bead unique and beautiful, hung from the top of the doorframe to create a thick curtain. When Yuugi gently pulled them aside, promising himself to inspect the beads on closer detail later, he was met with simple stone door, again carved with the Eye of Ra, except this door was more etched, more worn.

This door, Yuugi figured, belonged to the Pharaoh.

He thought it strange how there were two separate rooms in the one soul room—proving that the two personas indeed shared the same soul—but he shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. He'd seen stranger things.

'_I wonder if this is the reason why Yami didn't want me to come inside,_' Yuugi absently thought, but the pondering was quietly cast aside for more important things. Yuugi gently placed his knuckles on the stone door and knocked.

Yuugi expected a delay, a moment of hesitation, before the Pharaoh answered. He was surprised when the answer to his knockings came to him immediately.

"You may come in."

Yuugi resisted the urge to shiver at the sound of the voice. It sounded so much like Yami's, but at the same time, it didn't. The persona's memories had subtly changed the undertones, moulding it into something unique and deep and regal, as if his voice was clay and his memories the sculptor. It was slightly eerie but Yuugi couldn't deny that he liked the sound of it. It soothed him, just as Yami's normal voice soothed him too. It made sense, since these two were actually the same person.

He carefully pushed the door open, mindful of the curtain of beads, and stepped inside.

He expected the room to mirror the Pharaoh's regal upbringing and his position as the king of Egypt—he wasn't wrong.

The room looked uncannily like an Egyptian throne room, with tall, painted pillars on either side of him and an elevated platform in front. There were caricatures of wheat carved along the edges of the ceiling, and on the walls were careful paintings of what Yuugi assumed were hieroglyphs and illustrations of Egyptian life. The room was rather intimidating, with painted figures of Egyptian gods more than twice his size just behind the throne, which sat on the elevated platform. On that throne was a familiar figure, who was watching Yuugi's awe-stricken face with an impassive stare.

Yuugi was reminded of how small he really was in this large, impressive throne room. When he finally locked eyes with the Pharaoh, however, he had this feeling that this room was also actually quite… lonely.

After all, what was the point of so much space and extravagance just for one, lone man?

When Yuugi made no move to walk forwards, the Pharaoh gazed at him with his head resting on the palm of his hand and said, "What brings you here, little one?"

Snapping out of his stupor, Yuugi briskly walked forwards and stopped by the stairs of the platform. He didn't know why but something held him back from bounding up those stairs and standing in front of the Pharaoh directly, like he would've done if this was Yami instead—oh, well, the side of Yami he knew, anyway.

Yuugi shifted his feet awkwardly as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Pharaoh," he started carefully. "Are you feeling alright?"

The question made the other's eyebrow lift, almost rising into the headpiece he wore on his forehead. He said nothing, and Yuugi blushed under the intensity of the Pharaoh's stare. He looked away, once again thinking how beautiful the tanned man was.

"I-I don't," Yuugi began to stammer as the silence stretched on uncomfortably. "I mean, I just… I don't mean to intrude or anything, but I…" He wondered why it was so hard to talk to the Pharaoh, when in all actuality, the Pharaoh was the Yami Yuugi knew? They were the same person! Why was he feeling so nervous and out-of-place; why did he get all flustered just at the sight of that red, powerful gaze? He _knew_ Yami, so of course he should also know _this_ part of Yami—

"Do you know who I am?"

The Pharaoh's words broke through Yuugi's mental hysterics. He snapped his head up to lock eyes with the royal man, his expression dumbfounded. "You're… You told me that your name was Atem, Pharaoh."

"Indeed I did," he said, his voice calm. Yet, Yuugi also detected an undertone of frustration and anger. "My name is Atem, son of Aknamkanon and a beloved child of the gods." His eyes flashed dangerously. "I am not… this person you refer to as 'Yami'."

Yuugi frowned and said, "Does it really matter what name the both of you go by? You two are the same—"

"No, we are not," the Pharaoh said, and Yuugi saw how the man clenched his hands into fists. "He and I are just as different as we are the same. You seem to know the other me, this Yami, quite well. But look into my eyes, little one, and I dare you to say that you know _me_."

Yuugi did as he was commanded to and looked up into the Pharaoh's deep, crimson eyes. He stared at him for a long moment and the Pharaoh gazed back, his expression hard and set. Then, slowly, Yuugi said in a whisper, "I do not know you."

And it was the truth—

Whether they shared the same soul or not, Yuugi did not know this Yami—this _Atem_. He possessed different memories, a different personality, and a different past that Yuugi was not aware of—that Yami himself was not aware of either. Yuugi didn't know Atem, even though he knew the textures and quality of his soul like it was his own. He suddenly understood the erroneous ways of his thinking: although Atem and Yami shared the same soul, with different memories the two personas were different people entirely.

Yuugi suddenly understood why the Pharaoh had looked so hurt.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice quiet. When Atem simply looked at him again in a reprimanding way, Yuugi said in a louder voice, "I'm sorry, Pharaoh."

The hardened look in the Pharaoh's eyes softened slightly and his hands relaxed. "I do not appreciate the way you and my other talk about me as if I were the burden," he said tonelessly. "I know not why this has occurred either, but understand that I am a person too. I will not tolerate that kind of treatment again."

Yuugi bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he said again, nearly choking with the knowledge that he had hurt him unintentionally.

He heard the Pharaoh sigh quietly and then Atem said, "Come up here, little one."

Yuugi obeyed, walking slowly up the steps until he stopped right in front of the sitting Pharaoh. He still couldn't look at him in the eye. Then he felt a gentle, slightly roughened finger hook under his chin and Yuugi finally glanced at those crimson eyes. Although he was standing and the Pharaoh was sitting, Yuugi was only just slightly taller than him.

"Let's not quarrel any longer," Atem said, his voice soft and his expression even softer. It made Yuugi's heart do crazy things, especially with the way his whisper caressed his skin. "I have no strife with you, little one, so you need not be afraid of me."

Yuugi felt his face burn as his fingers traced his skin until they rested on his cheek. He wondered how wide his eyes were at this moment. "P-Pharaoh?"

Atem offered him a lazy smirk as his thumb gently rubbed Yuugi's pale skin. "I am aware that you are full of questions, akhu, but I have many questions that I'd like to ask you too." He glided his fingers through Yuugi's tri-coloured hair until his hand was gently grasping the back of his neck. With a confidence that made Yuugi blush, the Pharaoh pulled his head down until their faces were mere centimetres apart. "There is much that I want to know about you, little one," he whispered, his lips almost grazing Yuugi's cheek as he talked. His breath on his skin made Yuugi shiver pleasantly. "I do hope that you'll indulge me."

Then Yuugi let out an unmanly yelp as he was suddenly pulled forward by firm, strong hands. He landed on Atem's lap, straddling it with his knees on either side of the royal ruler, and Yuugi tried to scramble away, a vicious blush on his face at their position. But the Pharaoh's arms had wrapped around him, keeping him in place on top of him, and that only made Yuugi's face burn brighter. "P-Pharaoh?" he squeaked.

"You asked my other why he kept me hidden from you," the Pharaoh whispered as he pulled Yuugi's face closer to his. He nuzzled the small man's neck affectionately, loving his scent and the softness of his pale skin. "Although we are different, we also share certain qualities. One of them, be it unfortunate or not, is that neither of us are willing to share." He gently nipped at Yuugi's neck. "He didn't want to share you with me, and I understand why. After finally seeing you, akhu, I'd rather have you all to myself as well."

The feel of the Pharaoh's teeth on his skin almost made Yuugi's heart explode. His struggles renewed in a desperate attempt to dislodge himself from him, but his attempts were futile. The arm around his waist was too strong, and the hand at the back of his neck kept him in place. With a silent whimper, Yuugi could do nothing but keep his hands on Atem's shoulders in attempts to keep some sort of distance between them. "I-I don't understand," Yuugi finally managed to say. His breath hitched when he felt Atem's lips kiss the underside of his jaw. "Why are you…?"

"It's obvious, is it not?" Atem murmured, and the vibrations of his lips on his skin sent a jolt of electricity through Yuugi's body. "You have grown dear to me, little akhu, and I want to be closer to you yet."

"B-But you don't even know me!" Yuugi spluttered, his hands tightening on Atem's shoulders.

The Pharaoh pulled away so that they could actually see each other's faces directly. He inwardly chuckled at the bright flush on the smaller man's face—he found him adorable. "While it is true that I do not know you well and vice versa, the feelings I hold for you are undeniable still." He slowly moved forward until their foreheads rested against each other affectionately. "After all, you are my little akhu," he said quietly. "You chase the darkness away from here and away from my heart. Just the sight of you, little one…" He sighed. "I cannot fully explain it. My soul just earns for yours."

The confession made Yuugi so warm that he wondered if he was going to spontaneously combust. He wondered if this was what Yami felt as well, and just the thought of the spirit holding him like this almost made Yuugi faint with all the blood that rushed to his head.

He loved Yami—he knew he did. But to love him in that way…? Was it even possible?

One thing was for sure: Atem was a side of Yami that definitely did not hesitate when speaking his mind. Of course—as a Pharaoh, he probably always got what he wanted anyway; all he needed to do was demand it.

But Yuugi, although he loved Yami (romantically or not), wasn't sure if he could say the same for the Pharaoh. Like he'd made clear before, Yuugi did not know him.

But did he have to know him to be attracted to him? Because, whether Yuugi admitted it aloud or not, the Pharaoh was indeed exotically beautiful. And whether they grudgingly accepted it or not, they shared the same soul—and if Yuugi loved one part of the soul, surely he loved the other?

His head was swimming with all these thoughts and feelings; he could feel a headache creeping up on him. He closed his eyes tightly to try and steady the dizziness he suddenly felt. Somehow, he had let himself get off track. He had wanted to clarify the situation, not make it worse.

"Akhu?" the Pharaoh asked, his tone clearly concerned.

Yuugi didn't open his eyes. Instead, he said, "Please let me go."

There was a moment of stillness where Yuugi wondered if he would have to fight for his freedom, but then Atem slowly released him. Yuugi scrambled out of the throne and back onto his feet. He turned his back to Atem, keeping his gaze downcast. He forced the furious blush on his face to die down until he felt normal again. "There's… a lot of things I have to think about," he said, his tone subdued.

Atem paused to analyse his words before he nodded. He said in that calm, impassive voice of his, "Understandably so, little one."

Another heavy silence befell them where neither of them moved. Then suddenly, Yuugi spun around and met Atem's gaze. The Pharaoh was surprised at the fierceness he saw burning inside those beautiful amethyst eyes. "You don't need to be afraid about being kept prisoner here," Yuugi said firmly. He seemed to have deliberately repressed their last topic of conversation, which Atem found amusing. "I'll talk to Yami. You're free to wander whenever you want—whether it be inside the Puzzle or out in my world. You won't be trapped inside here."

Yuugi's words caused a warm glow in the Pharaoh's usually cold and unfeeling chest. "I appreciate that, akhu," he whispered sincerely.

"If it's going to be the three of us here, then we need to learn how to get along and make some compromises until we solve this out. So, Pharaoh, can you _please_ try to get along with your other self?"

Atem slumped on his throne, clearly displeased by the request. But Yuugi's determined gaze told him that he'd better agree with him if he wanted to avoid a heated argument. "I make no promises," the Pharaoh droned, "but I will try."

The smaller man seemed satisfied with that answer and nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some time to sort things out and speak to Yami." He gave Atem a look that was both tender and firm. _'If you ever need me, Pharaoh, then you just need to call me.'_

The Pharaoh didn't seem even slightly surprised by their mental link. _'Of course, akhu.'_

Then when Yuugi turned to leave, Atem found himself saying gently, "It was nice to finally meet you, little Yuugi."

Yuugi stalled for a moment, glanced at the Pharaoh, and looked away. "It was nice to meet you too… Atem. I hope we get to learn more about each other."

"Indeed." There was a pause. Then, "Would you be so kind as to show me around your world whenever you have free time?" Atem requested casually. "I had only a glimpse of your world… but I do find it fascinating, and unfamiliar. I would appreciate it if you explained your world to me, akhu."

Yuugi gave him a generous smile that Atem practically basked in. "Of course." Then he fully turned and, without any further interruptions, walked out of Atem's beautifully decorated throne room, eager to rest his suddenly weary bones and let the whole confusing situation be forgotten in dreams.

Just what, exactly, was he getting himself into?

0o0

Atem wasn't surprised when the doors to his throne room slammed open. As usual, he sat on his throne as he casually regarded the infuriated spirit that made his way noisily towards him. He stopped until he was standing right in front of the Pharaoh, his shadow cast over him in an intimidating manner.

"You," Yami addressed coldly. "You did something strange to Yuugi, didn't you?" He didn't wait for Atem to respond as he continued by saying, "I felt it through the link. He was all flustered and confused and panicked. The only reason why I didn't come in here barging in was because I sensed that he was in no real danger." He narrowed his eyes coldly. "What have I told you about touching my aibou?"

The Pharaoh shrugged. "Your threats are meaningless to me. You did, after all, swear to Yuugi that you would never entrap me against my will again."

Yami could see the smirk playing on the tanner man's lips and he scowled in response. "I'm sure there are other ways to threaten you."

But the smirk didn't leave and the Pharaoh finally stood up. They were of equal height and so they glared at each other without the need of tilting their heads. "Do not be upset," Atem said lowly, his amusement dancing in those crimson eyes. "I know what irks you. You are a coward and a child, and you know this. You are upset simply because I had the gall to make my feelings known, why you yourself decided to lock them away and hide its very existence."

Yami clenched his teeth together and fisted his hands. "Even so," he said, his patience a thin, tense thread ready to snap at even the slightest of additional pressure, "you must cease your advancements. Yuugi is of the living, and as such, we cannot grant him the happiness he deserves."

Atem's eyes flashed and the smirk turned cold. "Well, I believe otherwise. Yuugi's happiness is his own to decide, and I will not bend to your will, or anyone else's, if I decide to pursue him. I have sacrificed enough… and so have you. Why restrain ourselves any further, especially when it could make the little one happy too?" He reached out and placed a hand on the stiff spirit's shoulder. "If you wish to hide yourself, then that is your choice. But it is not mine."

Yami furiously shrugged the hand off of him and turned on his heel. He began walking away but just before he left the throne room entirely, he turned his head. Burning crimson and fiery lavender clashed in a heated battle of barely repressed hostility. Then Yami said, clearly and firmly with a conviction that made his tone hard, "You will regret inciting a fight with me_._"

Then the spirit left, leaving the Pharaoh alone in his large, empty throne room with the shadows his only company. He allowed a playful grin to stretch itself across that handsome face, and Atem responded quietly, "The prize is my akhu, my light—he who counters the darkness that imprisoned me. Never… will I regret fighting for him."

And so started the internal war within a single soul for the affections of one, little boy—

A boy who managed to ensnare their oh-so different, oh-so synchronised hearts with his stunning amethyst eyes.

Indeed, young Yuugi had no idea what he'd gotten himself into.

0o0

Chapter Two: End.

0o0

_Translations:_

_**Akhu**__: loosely translated into 'light'._


	3. That Annoying Egyptian Tourist

**Red String**

0o0

Chapter Three: That Annoying Egyptian Tourist

0o0

_Again, thank you for all your reviews! I don't reply to them very often, but I really do enjoy reading them._

_Hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and let's all look forward to 2013!_

0o0

Yami resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. No, he would _not_ let his frustrations control his movements to the point where he would actually _pinch_ himself. However, he apparently had no qualms about gritting his teeth together painfully for the sake of said frustration, it seemed.

That _stupid_ Egyptian Pharaoh—acting like a clueless tourist who didn't know how _anything_ in this century worked (which was the truth, but he damn well decided to ignore that fact in favour of righteous indignation). Because of the Pharaoh's sincere (_feigned_, Yami would have rather barked) ignorance, all of his aibou's time had been used to teaching his Pharaoh-persona about absolutely _every single thing_ in existence.

And it annoyed the **hell** out of him.

Really.

From his corner of the room (he could swear that there was a shadow looming over him and scratching irritatingly against the walls and ceiling), Yami watched with narrowed, dark violet eyes as the two interacted in the kitchen.

"And that, Pharaoh," Yuugi said patiently as he lazily gestured to the microwave, "is a machine that heats up objects for a set amount of time. See, you just push the buttons here and press this, and it heats up whatever you want inside it."

"Fascinating," the Pharaoh murmured, his crimson eyes widening with curiosity. He floated—since he was in his spiritual form outside of the Millennium Puzzle—closer to the youth, almost brushing his intangible shoulder against his. "So it is like a furnace, for when you make your dough rise into bread."

Yuugi scratched the back of his head, smiling ruefully at the persona with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "No, Pharaoh, not exactly," he said with a mild laugh. "We use an oven for that, and well, we get our bread from elsewhere—like a store. A microwave is more for heating up already cooked food, so if we want our food warm and it's cold, we just use that."

"Ah." Atem didn't even blink at his mistake and he went on to his next question without hesitation. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a length of time now, but where are your servants, akhu? Shouldn't they have already prepared your breakfast before you descended down the stairs?" His eyes were slightly narrowed as he stared at Yuugi, expecting a straight and truthful answer. How dare the servants display such incompetence? He would have them whipped!

But Yuugi only quirked an eyebrow at him, the bemused smile still dancing on his lips. "I have no servants, Pharaoh. Hardly anyone does in this era—not even a maid is considered a 'servant' here. We take care of ourselves." He waved a dismissive hand as he walked around the kitchen to grab his cereal bowl. The kitchen was completely quiet save for their chatter and the twittering of morning birds—birds coloured grey and white that could be seen outside the kitchen window. Yuugi glanced outside the window briefly, noting pleasantly the bright blue skies—it looked like a good day. "But usually, I'm not alone. You've seen grandpa and mum around the house, haven't you?"

Atem's eyes darkened somewhat. "Yes," he said lowly, crossing his arms as he followed Yuugi to the kitchen table. "While they are present, you are forbidden to acknowledge or speak to me, unless it's through our mental connection." It wasn't something that he liked and hence, he was wary of the two adults that resided with his akhu, even if they were the boy's blood relations. He liked it when Yuugi spoke to him with rapt attention and answered his every question without distraction—he despised it when he was blatantly answered or dismissed like some parasite or unimportant commoner.

Yuugi nodded, missing the dark undertone of Atem's voice. "Usually, they're here with me when I have breakfast, but grandpa disappears sometimes when he's run out of coffee. He's probably out getting some as we speak—he can't live through mornings without it—and mum probably had an early shift at work today." He shrugged carelessly. "That always happens though. I haven't had someone cook me a real breakfast—other than just toasted bread—in, well, years."

While the Pharaoh grunted and nodded—displeased about the boy's plight but not knowing how to remedy it without the availability of servants—Yami gazed at his aibou intensely from his corner of the kitchen. He hadn't known that about Yuugi; he'd never before felt that spark of longing when the boy mentioned having a real breakfast. The spirit mentally tucked the information away in his mind for future ponderings and crossed his arms, continuing to observe the two with critical and appraising eyes.

After a period of random chatter—which successfully grated on Yami's nerves; the Pharaoh's baritone voice was like sandpaper in his biased ears—Yuugi finished his cereal and abruptly stood up, leaving his plate by the sink to be washed later. He picked up his jacket hanging from the back of a chair and flashed a grin at the Pharaoh. "It's time for me to go to school now. I won't mind if you stay outside the Millennium Puzzle to have a look around, but remember to be conscious of my situation, okay?"

Atem nodded firmly, his crimson eyes serious. "Always, akhu."

Yuugi smiled and turned his head to glance curiously at the spirit brooding in his corner. "Mou hitori no boku?"

Yami cursed himself when he heard the concern laced in Yuugi's voice and he forced himself to smile as he moved away from the walls. "Would you mind if I stayed outside too, aibou?"

The youth cocked his head cutely and blinked. Then he said, "Of course I won't mind; you're welcome to do whatever you want. You know you don't need my permission for something like that, mou hitori no boku." Then he smiled again, already heading towards the doors. "Let's get going before we're late, ne?"

Yami watched as his aibou opened the door and stepped out. He followed him silently, pointedly ignoring the red-eyed glare burning a hole into his back. Being a spirit with no tangible back to actually burn, Yami couldn't truthfully say that he even felt any discomfort. Perhaps, going by the smirk on his lips, Yami even found the Pharaoh's displeasure positively delightful.

0o0

Yuugi walked nervously to school, his hands fisted around the straps of his backpack. He tried not to let his nervousness show but it was kind of hard when the two spirits—er, personas—that followed him radiated suffocating clouds of intense dislike. Oh, Yuugi wasn't stupid—he _knew_ they despised each other openly, but what else was he supposed to do? Lock one up in the Puzzle if one was out? He couldn't do something like that to either of them.

The fact that one was eerily silent while the other talked non-stop only made him more self-conscious.

"What are those blasted things over there?" Atem asked, incredulous and apprehensive. "They roar like beasts—but as if they're sick—and smoke forms in their wake!"

'_Those are cars, Pharaoh,' _Yuugi answered through their mental link. He certainly wouldn't speak aloud as he walked on the public pathway; why should he give complete strangers the opportunity to declare him insane? He had enough of that already from people he barely knew. _'People use them to get from one place to another—it's a form of transportation, like camel-riding or… wagons, I suppose?'_

The Pharaoh nodded his head thoughtfully, satisfied, but then something else caught his eye. "And what about—"

'_Those are mobile phones. People use them to communicate with each other, even if they're not exactly face-to-face or even in the same room or city.'_

Atem's eyes narrowed warily, although Yuugi had no way of knowing that since the Pharaoh was behind him. "That sounds like sorcery to me. Is the use of magic a common thing in your era, akhu?"

'_It's not magic,'_ Yuugi replied with the utmost patience. _'It's technology—science. Magic is something else entirely and, unfortunately or not, most people believe that magic doesn't even exist.'_

"Absurd," the Pharaoh scoffed, rolling his eyes at their ignorance. "But I wonder if there really is a difference between this 'science' of yours and magic. To be able to communicate with others even when they are not within natural earshot—isn't that, to an extent, magic that you've just learned to master?"

Yuugi mused on this for a little while before he smiled slightly and shrugged. Without meaning to, he said out loud, "I suppose it is."

Atem was pleased when he got a vocal response and immediately started to ask more questions, glad that Yuugi was abandoning his own reservations to actually speak with him. "And that, akhu? What is—"

"If you have questions, direct them at me," Yami interrupted coldly, speaking up for the first time since they left the Kame Game Shop. "Yuugi answered your questions all weekend and he simply doesn't have the energy to put up with you during the week. Leave him alone and just ask me." He managed a cruel smirk as he sneered at his other self. "I _know_ this era—and I learned it without burdening aibou with petty questions."

Yuugi mentally groaned. Here we go.

Atem immediately—_predictably_—retaliated, casting a spiteful glare to his more modern self. "Well, to be fair, you had _years_ to observe and silently study this era," he retorted icily. "Whereas _you_ decided to confine me in the Puzzle from the minute I escaped whatever pit I was in, giving me no opportunity to observe _anything_. So perhaps, all things considering, the magnitude of my curiosity is justified."

Yami was about to argue how the _hell_ it was possible, then, for Atem to be speaking in their language if he wasn't just pretending to be ignorant, but he was interrupted when they both felt a sudden spark of emotion ignite inside them. It was like an unexpected gust of wind, leaving them breathless and pleasantly warm. Both personas turned simultaneously when Yuugi, forgetting them, ran ahead to greet Anzu eagerly by the school gates. There was a happy smile on his face, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his eyes were brighter than they were that morning.

Although Yami loathed his past self, he couldn't help but synchronise with the feelings of displeasure and irritation at the sight of the two childhood friends. The warmth was gone now, completely and utterly.

Their argument forgotten, the two personas drifted behind their light, following him silently through the gates and into what would be Atem's first day at modern, Japanese high school.

0o0

Atem was bored. It was just like his private sessions with Mahaado all over again, except, well, _even more boring_—something he hadn't thought possible. Even remotely.

It must have been cruel, ironic fate to make him realise that impossible things really _did_ happen—

Just to spite him personally, no doubt.

He'd refrained from asking any more questions from his akhu ever since they entered the gates. He was familiar with the structure of an educational facility (it was rather strange how universal the layout seemed to be) and he didn't need to ask Yuugi anything about what he saw. He could connect the dots—as a Pharaoh, it was almost his second nature to unearth the greatest amount of knowledge from the smallest pool of information. His more modern persona was right about one thing—he was feigning his ignorance, but only just a little. He just wanted to speak with Yuugi more.

But now he had nothing to ask about or even talk about. He couldn't ask anything without sounding ridiculous and outright stupid, and even though this class was as boring as watching a dead snake cooking beneath the unrelenting gaze of the desert sun, he knew that learning was valuable. He didn't want to be detrimental to Yuugi's education.

Still, even with that thought, he hovered just behind Yuugi and stroked his ethereal fingers through his akhu's hair. He couldn't directly touch him but his aura still radiated enough energy to _feel _him and vice versa, like a ghostly touch—or perhaps _exactly_ like that. Yuugi stiffened at first, hunching his shoulders just slightly, but as Atem idly continued to rake his nimble fingers through the softness of his hair, the youth relaxed. Yuugi sagged back into his chair and half-listened to his teacher rant about triangles and angles like they were actually relevant to their lives right now, letting Atem do as he pleased.

A spark of mischievousness suddenly went off in Atem's head and he grinned brightly. Knowing that the youth could feel him and see him, he slowly reached down and wrapped his arms around Yuugi's shoulders, nuzzling his nose into the boy's neck. Yuugi stiffened all over again but Atem was delighted to see the flush of red paint itself across those delicate cheeks. Oh, how he loved it when his akhu blushed.

'_P-Pharaoh?'_ Yuugi stuttered through his consciousness. Atem chuckled; even the boy's mental voice sounded like the gentle chime of bells in his ears.

"Don't mind me, akhu," the Pharaoh murmured, his lips brushing tantalizingly against the surface of Yuugi's skin. "Just listen to what your teacher is saying. Every grain of information can prove valuable in the future." Even as he said this, his hands began to drift down to rub lazy circles on Yuugi's chest. Atem was delighted when Yuugi instantly shivered and squirmed in his arms, releasing a small, shuddering breath that only he could hear.

Meanwhile, Yuugi was trying his hardest to control himself. He couldn't believe what was happening! He was practically getting molested in the middle of class by an invisible spirit, surrounded by all his peers! The concept made his face flush even more; if his classmates happened to glance at him right now, they would've wondered whether he had a fever. He could feel the ghostly warmth of Atem's touch on his bare chest—as if his fingers were actually going through the fabric of his clothes—and his breath hitched when a finger ghosted over the skin just above his nipple.

'_Pharaoh… please, stop. I can't concentrate like you're telling me to if you're…'_

But then Atem chuckled and Yuugi felt the vibrations of the laugh run down his spine pleasantly. "I'm just a little bored, akhu. Don't mind me."

It's not you I'm concerned about, Yuugi thought helplessly. He clenched his eyes shut and gripped the pencil he had in his hand even harder. He tried so hard to pay attention to his teacher and ignore Atem's ministrations—_oh_ how he tried!—but he couldn't even form a single coherent thought right now, much less actually dedicate himself to learning. It _certainly didn't help_ either when he felt teeth softly nipping at the surface of his skin, just under his jaw and beneath his ear.

'_Triangles… cosine… P-Pharaoh… teeth… Ah—!'_

He felt a tongue, wet and rough and _real_, slide over a particularly hard bite on his neck, almost as if in apology. Yuugi bit his bottom lip harshly. He'd be damned if he moaned out loud in the middle of a bloody Maths class!

What exactly was the Pharaoh trying to do to him? Teasing him at home was enough, but to do it in his classroom too where he could embarrass himself in front of everybody?

"What ever happened to being conscious about his situation, Pharaoh?"

Yuugi's eyes snapped open while Atem cast his irritated gaze upwards. Yami was standing in front of Yuugi's desk with his arms crossed, a fierce glare that Yuugi had never seen before set on his handsome face. Yuugi had seen the _'Do you __**really**__ think you're a match for me?'_ glare, the _'How __**dare**__ your hurt my aibou/my friend/my family'_ glare, and he was all-too familiar with the _'Oh, you did __**not **__just say that' _glare (usually surfacing in the presence of loud, ego-centric duellists (coughKaibacough)). But the one he was wearing right now was more like an _'I have __**no**__ qualms about committing murder and you are __**right on top **__of my to-kill list' _glare, and it made Yuugi pale considerably. There was a dark, furious aura surrounding him, like a dense and heavy cloud. The students in front of Yuugi shivered unconsciously but otherwise gave no hint that they were aware of Yami's presence.

The youth gulped. He did _not_ like the look in the spirit's eyes and with a sinking heart, he prepared himself to witness an argument that only he could be audience of.

Atem's arms didn't release Yuugi, even though the youth mentally begged him to. His arms stayed wrapped around his shoulders despite Yami's killing stare. In fact, the Pharaoh actually had the gall to rest his chin on top of Yuugi's head. The act was like spitting right into the executioner's face (and forcing the executioner to decide that no, this would definitely _not _be a clean kill). "I haven't forgotten," the Pharaoh simply said, his tone dull and his expression uninterested. "I was just bored, that's all, and so was my akhu. I figured that I'd do us both a service and relieve the boredom for a while."

Yami scowled deeply and his hands tightened around his forearms. "You really don't know how to think for anyone but yourself, do you?" he barked. "You should think of others for a change; not everything you wish for is what they wish for, and Yuugi certainly didn't need you touching him like—like _that_ during a lesson!"

Atem's eyes flared up in response. "Do not speak of things that you do not understand," he growled. "In any case, your jealousy is not becoming of you." He flicked a wrist in annoyance. "You've had ample opportunities that you've wasted, my darkness, so let me actually make use of mine."

A look of incredulousness and rage flashed across Yami's face. He abruptly reached out and pushed against Atem's forehead—or headpiece, anyway, since a slab of gold protected his Ra-forsaken forehead—with a rough finger. "Get off of him," he simply stated, hard and cold, leaving no room for argument.

But he would've been a fool indeed if he actually expected the Pharaoh to do as he demanded.

"How _dare_ you!" the Pharaoh hissed, immediately releasing Yuugi to stand (er, float) his full height, glaring daggers into his other self. "There's only so much of your insolence that I can tolerate! Learn where your boundaries are!"

'_Guys…'_ Yuugi implored quietly, but his efforts were blatantly ignored by both parties.

"Or what?" Yami rebuked with a darkened smirk. "You'll have me whipped? You'll banish me? You'll cast me into the Shadow Realm? There's absolutely _nothing_ that you can threaten me with, so get off your high-horse. In this era, you are no more Pharaoh than I am."

His words cut deeper than what was intended. Memories of his past life—a life long-lost and spent—flashed across Atem's eyes and he pursed his lips thinly. "Indeed, that life is no longer mine," he said slowly, "but at least I know who I _am_. Who are _you_, my darkness? You don't even know."

That cut rather deeply too. "I…" Yami dropped his arms to his sides, his hands clenched tightly into fists. He straightened his back and glared at Atem defiantly. "I know who I am. I'm you."

'_Pharaoh…!'_ Yuugi began to warn, but Atem was struck deaf with his fury and the warning might as well have been a quiet sigh in the wind.

"You don't even remember the face of my father, or the scent of my mother, and you don't even know the kiss of the desert sun that I loved. How can _you_ claim to be _me_?" If the Pharaoh had ever been cruel in his past life, he was certainly showing the characteristic now. He grinned darkly. "We are not the same—you are just some pathetic manifestation of a future me, as much as it shames me to admit. You're nothing but a _shadow_ of me. You leach off the life of an innocent youth, endangering him and all he loves, just by merely existing. I know why _I _existed—I had to save the world from darkness—but why… do _you_? Why did _you_ ever have to exist at all?"

The words were like daggers and Yami paled. Yuugi couldn't stand the sight of the spirit's pain-stricken, utterly _defeated_ face.

(It was so wrong to see him like that—so _wrong_.)

"That's **ENOUGH**!" Yuugi shouted, slamming his hands angrily on his desk.

Both personas were startled by the shout and would have jumped if they weren't floating. They turned their heads to stare wide-eyed at their host; but, before either one could say anything, there was a sudden, indignant cough in the following, unnatural silence.

"Do you have something against the way I explain trigonometry, Yuugi?"

Yuugi was startled himself and he actually jumped in his seat. He hastily stood up, almost tripping over the legs of his own chair, and stuttered out his apology. He ignored the equally shocked faces of his classmates—little, meek Yuugi, telling their teacher _**enough**__? _"N-N-No, sensei! I-I-I'm s-sorry, I was just, ah, I was, ummm, just—"

His anger at the personas rapidly disappeared to be replaced by utter self-loathing.

Oh, why was he so _stupid_?

The uncountable pairs of eyes continued to stare at him and he turned as bright as a tomato. He kept his gaze downcast in complete humiliation.

The teacher crossed her arms and quipped impatiently, "Well, young man?"

Oh Ra.

Then, unexpectedly, there was a sudden, sharp sound. Everyone switched their gaze to stare, horrified, at the person sitting next to Yuugi in the class: Jounouchi. The blonde held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry!" he said, grinning and not looking apologetic at all. "I was bored and bugging Yuugi by doing this." He gave the class a slightly sinister wink as he shoved a hand in his armpit and started flapping the connecting arm, hooting out the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star children's song.

_Pphhppt-phhht, pbbbhht-pphhbt, pphhbbt-pphhbt PPBBBHHHTTT!_

The class erupted in a chorus of groans ("Ewwww!"), yelps ("Oh my God!"), laughter, hollers ("AMAZING!"), and even echoing armpit-farts (which people hoped were _only_ armpit-farts) that were, truthfully, a trifle too eagerly made. The teacher flushed crimson at the chaos and Yuugi could only stare at his friend in complete bafflement. When Jounouchi grinned at him in that I-have-your-back kind of way, Yuugi blushed and smiled widely in return, his chest warming considerably.

"C-Class! That's enough now! Control yourselves!" the teacher shouted and, after a few more seconds of chaotic hilarity, the class finally descended into a lucid, grinning state. Ah, what a way to liven up a rather deadened Maths class. The teacher huffed and placed a hand indignantly on her hip. "Yuugi, Katsuya—you two will be seeing me after class today," she said grimly while casting a fierce glare at the two students.

While Yuugi meekly nodded, Jounouchi simply rolled his eyes. The lecture recommenced in a more attentive manner, the students newly awakened from their previous daydreaming. Yuugi cast another thankful smile at his friend's direction before he returned his gaze to the board. He ignored the two personas that knelt on either side of him (the Pharaoh, kneeling? That was a sight that both Yuugi and Yami would store) and pointedly kept his eyes forward.

"Sorry, aibou."

"I apologise for my actions, akhu. I was in the wrong."

Yuugi had no response for them but stoic silence.

0o0

They left him alone for the rest of the day. Luckily for him and Jounouchi, the teacher only gave them a stern reprimand for the disruption before letting them go to recess—it was probably because she realised that the class really did need a little distraction, so she wasn't in a position to _really_ complain. Yuugi sighed as he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom. When Jounouchi had asked him what had happened—_"Was the Pharaoh acting strangely or something, Yuugi?"_—Yuugi was forced to lie to him and bypassed the matter. He was grateful to his friend—really, he was—but at this stage, Yuugi felt that his little secret had to remain a secret. For now, anyway.

But man did he feel guilty for lying to his best friend—a really, really good friend who shared the heat with him when he had no idea what was happening in the first place; a friend who just seemed to _understand_ without the need for questions. Yuugi sighed again as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He'd have to tell them soon though, if only to make sure that they didn't worry about him.

Then the Puzzle glowed slightly and Yuugi softly closed his eyes, letting himself be washed away by the all too familiar sensation. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before—like a sudden lightness to his soul, expect his soul wasn't heavy in the first place. When the spirit broke away from him and manifested himself in his bedroom, Yuugi distinctly felt the process as if he himself had uncoiled his fingers to release the entity inside him. He opened his amethyst-coloured eyes and sure enough, the spirit was standing in front of him, a separate being of his own.

Granted, it wasn't the face Yuugi was used to seeing, but it was the same spirit all the same.

"Pharaoh."

The Pharaoh stood his ground—he didn't shift his feet or look away, and instead stood there in all his regal glory, his arms crossed and his crimson gaze piercing. (Ah, that confidence—it was so familiar, so familiar.)

"I apologise for my behaviour today, akhu," Atem began. "I shouldn't have distracted you, which led to the events of—"

"Stop," Yuugi abruptly demanded, and he ignored the surprised and then angered look that was harshly glanced his way. Yuugi returned the sharpened gaze with a quirked eyebrow and idly moved around the Pharaoh to stand by his bed, dropping his school bag at the foot of it. "You've already apologised for that, Pharaoh," he said quietly. "That doesn't matter to me anymore; there's something else that you need to say sorry for."

Atem didn't lose his fierce look; if anything, his glare only deepened in both frustration and perplexity. "… Pardon?" He had absolutely no idea what the boy was talking about and that only served to irritate him even more—not knowing what he was being accused of hurt his pride and filled him with insecurities, something he hated feeling with a passion.

Yuugi slowly turned and held Atem's eyes coldly. "You had no right," the boy said slowly, "to talk to Yami that way. _No right_."

Both were surprised at the fury in his voice, Yuugi himself more so than the other. Yuugi could probably count on one hand the number of times he'd used such a tone with anybody, much less the spirit. But this part of the spirit was not _Yami_, was he? No—this part of the soul had _hurt_ the Yami that Yuugi knew and he **would** **not stand for it**.

He remembered the torn look in Yami's eyes, the subtle downturn of his lips that only Yuugi recognised as pain.

No. He would not stand for it—not even if it was from Yami's other self.

"He may not have memories," Yuugi whispered, but his voice was strong and his words were clear, and they commanded Atem's attention like how Yuugi's eyes rendered him as still as a statue. "Yami may not remember what happened in his past life; he may not remember his mother or his father or the desert sun. But you listen to me, Pharaoh, when I say that Yami having no memories does **not** mean he has no reason to exist. Do not, _ever_, speak to him like that—don't you ever question his place here, in this world, with me."

Yuugi fisted his hands tightly and glared at the Pharaoh, angry and sad and _disappointed_. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be the person I am today—I wouldn't be so _happy_. And..."—he gave Atem a pointed look, one that the Pharaoh couldn't bear to fully decipher lest it shattered his pride right then by the feet of a mere boy—"if it weren't for him, _you_ would still be trapped in the darkness, lonely forever. It wasn't me who reached out to you and brought you out of that place, Pharaoh—it was _him_."

His words were like blows to his gut, neat and precise and incredibly brutal, and Atem resisted the urge to place his hand over his stomach with the feelings that suddenly assaulted him. He suddenly didn't want to be here, out in the light, in the middle of the boy's bedroom, where he could see the _look_ Yuugi was giving him. He wanted to hide away in the Puzzle, in that darkness, if only to escape those disappointed, scrutinising, utterly gorgeous amethyst eyes.

But he couldn't do that; he couldn't run away and simply hide from his light. Instead, something in him submitted to the smaller boy's words, and it was he who first looked away.

Yuugi's gaze softened—the Pharaoh felt it more than he saw it—and the young boy sighed tiredly. "I hope you understand what I'm trying to say, Pharaoh," he said gently. He bent down and unzipped his backpack, taking out his school books and homework. "Don't worry. I know you're not completely in the wrong; he said some hurtful things too, and I understand that you only retaliated. But even so, to say those things _knowing_ that it would cut him deeply… I can't accept that, Pharaoh. I can't."

Yuugi was kneeling, still shifting through the items in his backpack, but when he glanced up to look at Atem in the eyes, the Pharaoh was hit with a strange feeling that left him almost breathless—even though Yuugi was the one on the ground, he was the one with the power. It was strange and disorientating and it didn't matter if Atem's back was straight and his posture was tall and regal, because he felt suddenly powerless under that gentle yet commanding stare.

(Why? Why?)

Then Yuugi smiled at him and Atem's breath silently hitched, clogging up his throat like there was a hand clenched around it. He stared at the youth with wide, bewildered eyes. "Yami is… very, very important to me," he confessed with that gentle, adoring look on his face, and the Pharaoh was suddenly so irritated that the look wasn't directed at _him_—not really. "So please, Pharaoh… try to get along with him. I… hate it when he looks so sad."

Then Yuugi stood up and turned his back to him—him, the Pharaoh, a previous king, and the ruler of the Shadow Realm—to sit at his desk and do his homework. He didn't glance back at the spirit and Atem was left standing there, palms oddly sweaty and his throat oddly dry. He stared at the youth's back, blinked at the emotions storming in his chest in an undecipherable mess, and quietly retreated back into the Puzzle, into his soul room, where he could welcome and yet not welcome his own solitude from those soft, loving eyes.

0o0

In the morning, Atem watched as Yuugi woke up before the blare of his alarm clock. But oh, it wasn't _really_ Yuugi though, was it? Still, Atem stalked behind the man silently, watching with a neutral gaze as his other self manoeuvred the youth's body out of the bedroom and silently down the stairs. It was still quite early—with the sky that pasty colour of grey splashed with a pale smear of yellow and white—and no one else was up yet—

No one but himself and his other self, and the newly-awakening morning birds just outside their kitchen window.

In a time where time seemed frozen and nothing else moved, Atem watched his other self wander about the kitchen, opening the fridge and getting out bowls and igniting a circular fire Atem learned the other day was from the 'gas stove'. He watched him silently, hovering there in the doorway of the kitchen—observing with red, piercing eyes.

After his other self was done, he washed Yuugi's hands and started to move back into the boy's bedroom. But as the possessed body passed him by the doorway, almost brushing their shoulders against each other, Atem finally spoke up, still staring at the contents on the kitchen table. He only asked one thing:

"Why?"

The other stalled but didn't look back. There was a moment of silence when Atem wondered if he had to repeat himself, but then his other self answered quietly yet firmly, breaking his thoughts.

"You may have said that you think I'm nothing," his other said, "but I know that I'm not. I am whatever Yuugi wants me to be—whatever he needs me to be. Before, you asked me why I even existed; I admit that I'm not sure why. But if I had to say anything… then I would say that I exist because of _him_. I exist for him—and that, simply, is your 'why'."

And then his other self—no, _Yami_—left him, carrying Yuugi's body up those stairs.

Meanwhile, Atem couldn't tear his eyes away from the hot, warm breakfast that lay on the table. It was a plate of seasoned egg omelette and fried rice with a tall glass of cool, white milk, solely made for one person, made by one who was close enough to that person to know what he wanted—what would make him happy, without the use of words.

Then Atem felt an incessant, almost painful tugging in the centre of his chest, and he sighed deeply, closing his eyes. The Puzzle was calling to him—he was too far away and his soul felt heavy, threatening to break apart right then and there—and the Pharaoh cast one last rueful glance at the breakfast before he closed his eyes and allowed his form to lose its shape, dissolving into the air as the bits of his soul found their way back home.

Everything was so wrong.

How could he—probably one of the most powerful beings on the planet, he who commanded _gods_—submit to the will of a small, meek boy with eyes that had fire for strength?

How could he—a previous king who once had any luxury he ever desired—feel so inferior to a self of him who had no authority or position to demand anything at all?

And how could he—who was loved by thousands and was never made to feel lonely—wish for a bond as strong as the one between that small, meek boy and the self of him with no power?

Would it be pathetic… for him to be envious of himself?

As the alarm blasted and the youth himself finally awoke, as the youth rushed down to the smell of warm eggs and hot food, as the youth beamed in happiness with eyes that sparkled like gems, as the youth silently thanked from the bottom of his heart the one he _knew_ had done this for him—

Atem thought: yes, perhaps it was pathetic; in this era, perhaps it wasn't his other self that was the shadow—

In the brightness of Yuugi's smile and the returning grin of the other, Atem wondered if the shadow here… was actually himself.

0o0

Chapter End

0o0


End file.
